Many parasites modify their host's behaviour, upping the host's risk of being ingested by a predator, and thus hastening the next stage of the parasites' life cycle. But, say Lucile Dianne and her colleagues at the University of Bourgogne in Dijon, France, one parasite can also do the opposite, making its victims predator-averse.
Pomphorhynchus laevis worms live in the amphipod Gammarus pulex (pictured) until they reach a stage at which they can infect the fishes that consume the amphipods. At this point, the amphipods grow increasingly reckless. But the researchers found that, in an experimental set-up, G. pulex infected with parasites that are at an earlier developmental stage spend more time hiding than uninfected individuals. This hiding behaviour protects the creature against fish predation, allowing time for the worm parasites to prepare for their next victim.
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Parasites make their hosts hide. Nature 473, 422 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/473422c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/473422c
